TT and Quin grew up playing in the two most storied programs in the most storied league in these United States--they know the game the way few do, and were capable of shining, while leading excellent teams in very different ways. These guys are GREAT ballplayers, we are talking GREAT. And, don't talk to TT about point, or shooting, or 1,2.3 positions--they are meaningless nothings to that kid. We are talking Tommy Amakar with another 20 lobs. that bespeak much, much more strength. I'm betting that when a guy makes solid contact with TT, no matter who intiates, he remembers the moment none too fondly for the rest of his natural born life. Playing Quin and TT on the court at the same time is having too old school basketball minds, one with a futuristic skill set, that would be Quin, and both with an ability to make the easy penetrating pass that makes an athletic big make an athletic play that creates opportunity, creates a defeat of the defender even if the ball is quickly thrown out, which is how Duke is finally at long last playing this year.
If, as has happened, Curry forgets that the game is about making the bigs athletic receivers with the space and potential advantage to score the ball inside, either of these two can easily take his place--you ain't seen a fraction of what cook can do for that team yet, btw. And, if Rivers doesn't learn that game, and I mean quickly, when other teams shut his paths to the basket down with serious muscle (2 guys at a minimum), he can see his minutes shrink too--you want Cook to score you the ball, all you need to do is tell him to, and, in the process, he will always feed the big dogs first.
Yes, Curry is playing terrifically at both ends, escept (1) he sometimes forgets to empower the bigs to wear people out instead of wearing himself out by those beautiful but draining early (in the game and even sometimes the clock) attacks to the basket; and (2), especially when he has done (a), he runs out of gas and starts making awful decisions and executing them worse down the stretch. Now, he might develop the stamina to have it all ways and play well down the stretch, he didn't in 903 at the garden, not by a long stretch, but I think that that is expecting too much, that is, if you want to continue to score the ball the way he tries and often succeeds doing in the first half, 2/3 of the game. We have seen how Rivers can be taken out of his attack-the-basket, you-know-it's-coming-and-you-can't-stop-it game; what we haven't seen his deployment of an alternative approach to being valuable on the court when that happens. I should think that between he and Capel they will figure it out, but it might take time. How much? Time. In the meantime, give me those two kids from DeMatha and Gonzaga, places where the roots of the game are flourishing in this day of "prime time" play, and watch the guys they play with get better and together they hurt people in ways that are timeless.
BTW, both Miles and Ryan (Ryan especially on three balls), need to earn how to differentiate moving their eyes from moving their heads--in other words, they need to be able to look up with their eyes with only moving their heads a fraction of what they currently do. By moving their heads and eyes as of one piece, they throw their heads back to look up, bringing their weight to their heals, which in both cases produces arm shots that have no repeatability. Learning to differentiate movement of the head and eyes is a key element, often overlooked, in athletic performance. It is not difficult to learn. Nope, that's why they pay guys with training like mine the big bucks. (Ryan learns this skill and he will kill people from the three line; as it is, he seems like standing behind him is downright dangerous when he gets to looking up at the basket--differentiating movement of the eyes and the head, baby and the dude will be nailing them the way everyone expects.)
Well, I have to say that I like this Duke team an awful lot, really like the way the exterior guys have been learning to empower the bigs, not my fancy passes, but by getting it inside early and multiple times per possession, and taking advantage of the receiver's athleticism, which, aside from anything else, is by far the most fun and rewarding thing in all of sports--making a pass that asks of the receiver that which takes quick decision making, vision, and modes of movement that are uniquely necessary to accomplish the task at hand. That is, that brings the big and the passer, or passers (it might be gy 1 who sees the entry if guy 2 gets the ball and as the ball goes to guy 2 or before, all three are on the same page) into relationship to create a synergy that defines the best that the game has to offer. You let the Plumlees and Ryan and the other quasi big be full partners in that fashion, and their vision on defense, their positioning for rebounds, their running the floor, their getting the ball in a crowd, starts to amaze.
Duke needs that this year. It is there for the taking, they have the kids to make it work, and it seems also the coach (again, I'm saying Capel) who understands its value.
In sum, if you are a guard playing for Duke this season, I wouldn't forget that letting the bigs be the terrific athletics and creators they are is the number one priority;. You forget that, except in games where the defense commits overwhelming resources to shut that part of the game down, at your peril.
There are guys who are waiting who will not forget; who were born to lead in that fashion.
\It's me, Mr. Greybeard, just kicking it back.